Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

from the convention center. Motocrossers Jeff Emig, Donny Schmit and Brian Swink have already signed up to play. World 500cc Championship runnerup Daryl BeaUie recently underwent surgery on his left foot in the hopes of ending niggling problems that were a factor in his 1995 campaign. The 25year-old Australian lost the toes- of his left foot in a crash in 1994 and it required further surgery from noted Californian surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting. "The operation only lasted about 40 minutes and should make life easier," Beattie said. Beattie will join the Lucky Strike Suzuki team in scheduled tests in Australia in January. Although Scott Russell is slated to test the new Suzuki GSXR750 during Michelin tire tests at Daytona International Speedway in December, it is still not known whether or not he'll try to win his fourth Daytona 200 on March 10. "I'd love to win it four times," Russell said. "But there's a lot of things to be sorted out before we decide; and the first thing is to ride the new bike, and see if I can contribute to its development." Lucky Strike team manager Garry Taylor concurred: "No decisions been taken yet about the Daytona race," Taylor said. "Scott's obviously a very experienced four-stroke racer, and what we're looking for is his input. This isn't only a new project for Suzuki's racing department, it's also a brand-new racingbike." The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has set November 30 as the date for hearings on its proposed off-highway riding ban on public lands, according to the AMA. The DEM's proposal would severely restrict off-highway riding in Massachusetts forests and parks, permitting riding only during limited, special one-day event. Comrnisioner Peter C. Webber claims the initiative addresses the difficulty of effectively integrating motorized and non-motorized recreation on public lands. The public hearing will take place on November 30 at six locations statewide. For more information call the AMA at 614/8912425. The Old Time Newsies for Charity is putting on its second indoor motorcycle race of the season at Wright State Universityfs utter Center Arena in Dayton, Ohio, on December 9. The event wilJ feature a $5000 purse for motorcycles. For more information, call 513/2221303. Over 15,000 motorcyclists attended the Southern California Love Ride XXII benefit ride for the Muscular Dystrophy A sociation. Participants who were able to solicit the $45 minimum donation met at Harley-Davidson of Glendale and were then sent out onto the parade route in waves, heading north up interstate 5 until they reached their fina I destination at Castaic Lake, where the festivities continued with a barbecue and concert. Talk-show host Jay Leno and former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner were among the several celebrities taking part in the event. Harley-Davidson V.P.s Willie G. Davidson and Clyde Fessler also attended the ride. An estimated $1.15 million was raised for the MDA, up some $60,000 from last year's event. A $1000 reward has been offered by Chris Haines for the whereabouts of Haines' Kawasaki KLX650 race bike. The bike was last seen 25 miles south of San Ignacio, Mexico, during the recently concluded Baja tOOO. The bike featured a green frame, triple headlights, white dry-brake gas tank and a seat with Chris Haines's Baja Off-Road Tours logo. The serial numbers are as follows: frame - 009604; engine - 016517. Anyone with information, please contact Sharon Richards at 714/770-0400, ext. 2225. Acerbis USA and Sidi will be offering demo rides with their latest-model boots and chest protectors at Carlsbad Raceway, Satu.rday, November 18, during the final round of the orth County Yamaha Race Series. For more information on the demo rides, call 619/5621440. BORN: Brad Paul Boller, to motojournalist Dale Boller and his wife, 'Susan, on November 1 in Steamboat Springs, . Colorado. Boller currently produces Good Times magazine for Kawasaki. AMAINATC National C'ship Trials Series announced T he 1995 AMA/NATC ational Championship Trials Series schedule was announced at the annual North American Trials Council, held November 4 in Denver, Colorado. This year, nine rounds will visit five states. All nine rounds will count toward overall rankings in the premier Championship class, but for supportclass riders, only the best five of nine wilJ be counted. The opening round wilJ be held in Southern California in conjunction with the annual El Trial de Espana, a fund-raiser for the United States Trial des ations team. In addition, the 1996 season wilJ mark the return of the World Championship Trials Series to the United States, as a World Round will be held in Exetor, Rhode Island, May 25-26. March 23 March 24 May 25-26 June 29-30 July 6-7 August 24-25 August 31 September I TBA, California TBA, California (El Trial de Espana) Exeter, Rhode Island (World Round) Mount Olive, Illinois Jasper, Tennessee Donner Ranch, California C>o1aha,Nebraska Kansas Gty, Kansas McGrath, Ward rule Paris Su ercross Team Honda / 1-800-Collect/ Fox's Jeremy McGrath (right) and Team oleen/Yamaha's Larry Ward were the big winners at the 13th Annual Paris Bercy Supercross in Paris, France, ovember 11-12. On Friday night, McGrath scored the win over Ward and Jeff Emig, who made his debut as a Team Kawasaki rider. Ward came back and won on Saturday night, while Kawasaki's Ryan Hughes finished second. McGrath, who crashed on the second lap, finished third. The final night of racing on Sunday saw McGrath score his second main-event win of the weekend, while Hughes and Ward finished second and third, respectively. For his efforts, McGrath took home $38,000. Each race paid $15,000 to win, while second place paid $8000, and third place $5000. In the 125cc class, which was run twice each night, Team SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's David Pingree won five of the six races. The other rider to win was Frenchman David VuilIemin, on a Kawasaki. The overan event was dominated by American riders, as the top-finishing European in the 250cc class was Frenchman Thierry Bethys, who finished seventh Saturday night on a Honda. otables included Mickeal Pichon, who raced once before calling it a weekend with an illness, and 250cc MX World Champion Stefan Everts, who injured an ankle and dropped out on Saturday. The Bercy Stadium, which holds 14,000 spectators, was sold out each night, and tickets cost approximately $100. APPOINTED: Jim Bensberg, to the position of director of operations and communications for the Pikes Peak Auto Climb Educational Museum, Inc. Bensberg previously served as the Washington, D.C., lobbyist for the AMA and executive director of the Colorado Motorcycle Dealers Association. CORRECTION: We gave the wrong photo credit for the shot of GNCC Champion Scott Plessinger that was used on the cover of last week's issue. The picture was taken by Jim Talkington who also took the photo of Plessinger on page 25 in the same issue. Talkington also shot the cover of this week's issue.a Nevada point-to-point race on track A Pparently, promoter Casey Folks is serious about his upcoming Best In The Desert Vegas to Reno extravaganza, a 546-mile, point-to-point team sprint race to be held Friday, March 29 in Nevada. Folks recently attempted to drum up enthusiasm in the press by inviting several journalists to check out parts of the course in Isuzu Rodeo and Trooper sport vehicles (American Isuzu is one of the event sponsors). Th~ motorcycles (along with quads and desert cars and trucks) will start south of Las Vegas..and head northwest toward Reno, skirting Goodsprings and Pahrump. Riders then parallel Death Valley, pass inside the Toiyabe National Forest and touch on such historic mining towns as Beatty, Goldfield, still-standing Gold Springs and Tonopah, once the home of the bizarre F117 Stealth fighter plane. The course will also visit the historic Pony Express route and enigmatic Groom Lake - famous for its mysterious night lights often attributed to UFOs. Substantial amounts of virgin terrain will be employed, with only infrequent forays onto sections of such bygone races as the Mint 400, Frontier 500, evada 500 and the still-running Nevada Rally. Suitable for the trucks and buggies, the chosen route is wide-open with no single-track and only a few boulder fields. Several chilly mountain passes - one up to 9000 feet - wilJ provide counterpoint to the near-sea-level dry lakes bordering Death Valley. The final descent is a precipitous drop into Dayton, the timed finish (the ceremonial finish will be at Reno's Pepperrnill Casino, as will Saturday's award ceremony). Professional motorcycle teams will be limited to two riders; Sport man teams can have up to three. "Ironman" solo Sportsman riders will be accommodated. Race bikes do not have to be street legal, although U.S. Forest Service-approved spark arrestors are required and headlights are recommended. Th.e Las Vegas host hotel is the Rio Suite Hotel and Casino, where technical inspection, vehicle impound, contingency row, registration and the riders' meeting will all take place on Thursday. In addition to [suzu, sponsors include Acerbis USA, Kawasaki Team Green and KTM Sportcycle. Following innumerable conferences and status meetings, plus the necessary environmental assessments, go-aheads from the three BLM areas, the state of Nevada and seven counties have all been arranged. To minimize cars and bikes from mixing, the four-wheel vehides will start three hours after the last quad. "No chase vehicles will be allowed on the course until the previous pit is formally closed," said Folks. "These are the '90s. You can't act like you did in the '80s or like in Mexico anymore. Best in the Desert does not want anysme going backwards on the course." Pit locations are designed to allow dual two-wheel-drive chase vehicles for each race team, leap-frogging their way up Nevada Highway 95_ A medical helicopter wilJ be on hand throughout the event, and each ga top will be staffed with EMT personnel. ESPN's Dan Walsh will be filming from the air and on the ground. ~ 0\ M N' N Qj ..0 S Q) > ZO 3

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